Gift of the Night Crawler
by Linda J
Summary: My '04 Xmen Christmas fic. Kurt is determined to get a gift for someone he'll never meet, even it it kills him!
1. Chapter 1

Universe and Timeline: This story can easily translate to any X-men  
universe, however for safe keeping we'll say movie verse. (Set after  
X2)

Summary: You know the story where someone wants to get gift for  
somebody, but the only way to get it, is to make a deal with someone  
who wants something else in exchange; and so on, and so on, and so  
on…  
Well here it is again-- mutant style!

Rating: PG pretty mild really.

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are property of Marvel  
comics. In other words, I don't own em and they won't be making me  
any money. There, happy now!

Feedback: If you do, I bet Santa will put you on his nice of the Night Crawler

Ch1  
"Alright everyone, we'll meet back here at five," Ororo announced to  
the lively crowd of teenage mutants as they went inside the busy  
shopping mall. Instantly the group broke up into several smaller and  
now bouncier groups, then disappeared into the bustling crowd.  
"Bet ya a hot cocoa at the food court that half of em show up  
late," Logan grumbled as he walked alongside of Storm while Kurt  
walked on her other side.  
"But dat iz vhy you came along Logan, ja? Zo you could track zem  
down if necessary," the blue teleporter softly mentioned, with his  
hat and coat pulled closely to his face to avoid being seen.  
"True; and believe you me, Elf, anyone I hafta go fetch ain't gonna  
be too happy when I get a hold of em," Logan declared as all three  
ducked and dodged the hordes of Christmas shoppers.  
"Well, I do want both of you to know that I appreciate you coming  
along to help out with the Christmas shopping this year," Ororo  
thanked the men once again. Logan merely grumbled something  
unintelligible, while once again Kurt raised his head above his  
collar and smiled. "It is a pleasure, fraulein. Christmas is mine  
favorite time of year!"  
Ororo's smile only broadened. "I'm so glad to hear that, Kurt! Now,  
here's your list," and she handed him a list that was three pages  
long. "And here's yours." She then held out Logan's list to him,  
only to have the feral stare at it with a shocked look on his face.  
Reluctantly he took it from her hand and started to read the items  
on the list. "I gave you the smallest list, Logan," Ororo meekly  
assured him.  
"Hmmm, I see," he calmly noted as he flipped the single page over to  
see if there was any thing more on the other side. "Well, thanks for  
the favor," he added sarcastically before taking off on his own to  
begin getting the things Storm listed.  
"Vould you like to do your shopping viz me?" Kurt kindly offered his  
arm to his favorite weather witch and together they set out to  
tackle the chore of Holiday shopping.  
For the rest of the afternoon Ororo and Kurt trekked around the  
mall, going from one department store to the next until they had  
found most everything on their lists. Afterwards, they decided to  
rest up at the food court before returning to the designated meeting  
place. As Kurt sat at the tiny table with his hot cocoa, he noticed  
a Christmas tree standing off to the side of the food court. On it  
were a few modest decorations and a single strip of paper hanging  
from a branch. What an odd decoration,' he said to himself, and  
strained his eyes to take a closer look. He could make out the  
bolder print on the paper, reading "SECRET SANTA", and underneath  
those words was something hand written. Curious at what he had  
found, the teleporter walked over to the tree and took the paper in  
hand. On it he read—"girl, age 8, size S, toy HOLIDAY PRINCESS  
BARBIE."  
"Ororo?" Kurt raised his head and spoke up loud enough for her to  
hear. "Vat iz zis?"  
Ororo looked up from her warm cup of herbal tea. "Every year,  
charitable organizations collect the names of needy children and ask  
them what they want for Christmas. They write the information down  
on "SECRET SANTA" cards, and hope that someone will be kind enough  
to pick up a card and buy what that child is asking for," she easily  
explained. "It looks like all but that one is gone."  
Kurt nodded as he stared thoughtfully at the paper. "Can anyone do  
zis?"  
"Of course," Ororo smiled. "I'm sure we'll have enough room in the  
van for one more package." Kurt smiled back and carried the paper  
over to their table for Storm to take a look at the list herself.  
But as soon as she read what the girl was hoping for, her smile  
quickly faded.  
"Well, that would explain why this card wasn't picked up sooner,"  
she remorsefully said with a sympathetic look on her face. "I'm  
sorry Kurt, but I heard on the news that the HOLIDAY PRINCESS BARBIE  
is this year's hottest toy and that every store has been sold out  
since Thanksgiving. It will be impossible to find one this late."  
A very disappointed Kurt quietly took the paper back to put it back  
on the tree, but just as he was about to leave it there he turned  
back and defiantly snatched it off the tree once more. "I believe He  
had me see zis for a reason, Ororo, and vith His help, nothing is  
impossible." Ororo gently shrugged her shoulders and took another  
sip of her tea. She smiled to herself and looked away, surrendering  
the argument entirely, but only because she know how stubborn the  
blue mutant could be. Kurt walked back to Ororo's side and took her  
by the hand. "Come, fraulein, let us go to zat toy store downstairs  
and look zere first."  
Kurt and Ororo collected their things and carried their bags and  
boxes down the escalator and headed toward the ritziest toy store  
chain in the country, SOB Shultz.  
They were almost to the door, when among the many shoppers walking  
their way, they spied what appeared to be a mound of boxes and bags  
walking around all on their own. All anyone could see of the person  
laboring with this mass of merchandise were his blue jeans, cowboy  
boots and the very top of his jet black head. "Short list, huh?" a  
voice grumbled from behind the boxes.  
"Logan?" Ororo humorously gasped as she and Kurt stopped to stare at  
the very peculiar sight. "Is that you?"  
"Well, it ain't ol' jolly St. Nick!" he snapped at them in his less  
than perky self. Ororo shook her head in confusion. "Now wait a  
minute Logan, I know there wasn't that much on the list I gave you."  
"Yeah, well I picked out a few extra goodies along the way. It's so  
hard to turn down a good bargain when you've got full access to  
someone like Charles' credit card," Logan joked as he tried to peer  
over the multitude of packages in his hands.  
"Here, meine freunde, let me give you a hand," Kurt offered as he  
reached out his tail and grabbed the handles of several bags in  
Logan's bundle. Suddenly from behind, there came a loud crashing  
noise as a woman close by saw the blue man's tail freely dangling  
five large shopping bags above his head and dropped her own bags in  
shock. Logan turned to give the woman a rude and offensive  
glare. "Humph! You'd think they never seen a mutant before," he  
snorted loudly enough for the haughty woman to hear.  
"We have one more errand to run before we're done, Logan," Ororo  
informed him. "Would you like to join us?"  
Logan nodded his head and went into the toy store after them. "Beats  
standing out here and watching these idiots look stupid," he  
mentioned as he watched the angry but also embarrassed woman  
stooping over to pick up her bag of broken gifts.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2  
SOB Shultz was nothing short of a total madhouse, as both shoppers  
and clerks alike rushed up and down the aisles like raving lunatics,  
while children ran everywhere out of control; screaming, crying and  
generally behaving like crazed animals on a feeding frenzy. Logan  
chuckled to himself upon hearing Karen Carpenter singing, "Oh,  
there's no place like Home for the Holidays," in the background;  
that is, when there wasn't a clerk asking for a price check over the  
store's intercom. Logan then looked down one of the shopping aisles  
and noticed a woman who looked much older than her scent indicated,  
with four young children surrounding her. One child was jumping up  
and down on her feet to get her attention, another was trying to run  
away, and still another was in the middle of the aisle throwing a  
temper-tantrum! The fourth child, an infant, though surprisingly  
quiet, was busy making an especially foul diaper for his mother to  
change later on. Suddenly my life doesn't look that bad,' Logan  
thought to himself. "So…what exactly did we come in here for?"  
But before he could get an answer, Ororo spotted a clerk and flagged  
him down. "Excuse me," she spoke up to be heard over the noise. At  
first, the young man seemed not to acknowledge her, but when he saw  
how beautiful she was he couldn't come to her aid quickly  
enough. "What can I do for you?" the young man asked ever so  
enthusiastically.  
"Yes, I would like you to help my friend here." Ororo smiled and  
turned her attention to Kurt.  
"Do you have any of these left in the store?" Kurt asked as he  
handed the man the SECRET SANTA card.  
The clerk shook his head. "No I don't think we have any… wait a  
second," the young man's face suddenly brightened. "Dude, this is so  
your lucky day! Come with me!" the three mutants followed the clerk  
through the narrow aisles and maze of shopping carts and crying kids  
until they came to the back of the store. "If anybody saw you  
walking out of here with this in your hands we would have a riot!"  
The clerk explained as he led them through the storage area. "It  
just so happens that I saw there were not one but TWO of these dolls  
back here in the manager's office," he explained as he opened the  
door to the manager's office. "Wait here."  
"See Ororo? With Gott nothing is impossible," Kurt beamed with glee  
as they patiently waited for the clerk to re-emerge with the prized  
Holiday Princess Barbie doll in hand.  
But just then, however, a man shouted from behind, "You there, what  
the hell do you think you're doing back here?"  
The three mutants turned around to see a tall, medium-build man with  
short salt and pepper hair and wearing the all too familiar  
manager's white shirt and tie.  
"Ve have come back here to pick up a Holiday Princess Barbie doll  
for a very special little girl," Kurt innocently explained to the  
man as he came closer.  
"A what!?!" the man gasped. Just then the clerk came out of the  
office carrying the doll in his hand. "NO! You can't have it! That's  
NOT for sale!" the store's manager roared and tried to yank the box  
out of the clerk's hand.  
"Dude!" The young man retaliated as he and the manager began to pull  
and tug on the boxed doll. "Like, don't have a cardiac; there's  
still one more in your office!"  
"I know that, you moron, now give it to me before you damage the  
box!" The man fought to keep his grip on the box.  
"Do you talk like that to all your employees?" Logan wondered.  
"No, just his nephew," the clerk informed them, refusing to let go  
of the box.  
"Yes, my overpaid, inexperienced, bleeding-heart nephew!" The older  
man had finally stopped playing tug of war, but still refused to let  
go of the box either. "I mean it; this doll is NOT for sale!"  
"Well, why not?" Ororo crossly asked the man.  
"It's my decision," the man childishly explained. "That's why!"  
"And you need two of the same doll?" Logan reminded him in a  
question.  
"That's right, one doll is to play with and the other stays in its  
box," he arrogantly explained. "We're collectors."  
"But dere is a little girl who only vants one zing for Christmas-  
dis doll," Kurt tried to explain. "Can you not find it in your heart  
to give up only one of yours?"  
"Mmmmm…no," the man sneered mean-spiritedly.  
"Oh come on Unk," the clerk argued on Kurt's behalf. "Miranda  
doesn't even LIKE Barbie dolls. Just give it to these nice people!"  
"Ya know, bub," Logan added. "Maybe if grownups like you didn't  
horde these damn things, there might be enough for every little girl  
out there. Now what do you suppose the CEO of this little toy shop  
would think if he heard about you using his store to supply your  
private doll collection?"  
Logan's threat turned the man's face pale for a moment; and Kurt  
pleaded once more. "Please Mein Herr, ve do not vant to make any  
trouble for you, and I vill gladly pay you any amount you ask for."  
The manager shook his head. "Money's not the issue here and Mat's  
right about one thing, Miranda doesn't like Barbie dolls, BUT she  
likes getting what no one else can have!"  
Ororo and Logan both felt the time had come to give up and Kurt was  
about to give as well when suddenly he had an inspiration. "Sir, who  
vould it take to make you change your mind?"  
"What?" the question puzzled the man for a moment.  
"If I could get anyone in ze world to come to dis store and ask you  
for zis doll, who would you give it to?" Kurt fearlessly asked as if  
he had some master plan in the making. "So what you're trying to  
lead me to believe is that you're actually able to get ANY celebrity  
in the world to come here in person?" The manager repeated  
suspiciously.  
Kurt nodded. "Yes, it iz possible."  
The man laughed out loud. "Oh that's a good one. Ha-ha! Tell you  
what…" he said half way seriously. "You get Rebecca Romijn-Stamos to  
come here in person, by the end of this week and I'll let you have  
this doll at cost."  
Kurt beamed a broad and satisfied smile. "Danke schoen, miene Herr;  
Me und meine freundes vill return!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ch3  
"Well that was a rewarding experience," Logan mentioned as they all  
worked out of the store. "Personally, my shopping day isn't complete  
until I've ran into at least one management level ass-hole."  
"We need to hurry, it's almost five now." Ororo looked at her watch  
as they all walked on toward the rendezvous spot. "We really need to  
get the kids back to the mansion in time for dinner, otherwise we  
could look in a few more toy shops that are along the way home." She  
then softly sighed. "I really wish there was more I could do to help  
you Kurt." Then suddenly Ororo had a good idea. "I know, we'll call  
as many toy stores as we can find in the phone book; maybe we'll get  
lucky and find the doll that way."  
Logan shook his head as they pushed through the crowd of shoppers  
like three trout trying to swim up stream. "You can try it if you  
like Storm, but I have a feeling you're not going to get anywhere. I  
mean if that piece of work back there wouldn't give us the doll when  
we were standing right in front of him, I doubt anyone would promise  
to let you have it over the phone."  
Even Kurt had his doubts. "I'm afraid zat Logan is probably right  
fraulein. No, I believe zat ze only vay to get dis doll is to have  
dis one called Rebecca Romijn-Stamos come here and ask for ze doll  
on our behalf."  
"Well do know this Rebecca?" Ororo asked already sure what Kurt's  
answer would be.  
"I do not even know vho she is, or vhy she is famous," he openly  
admitted.  
"Well that makes two of us," Ororo surrendered in frustration.  
"Oh, she's a super-model turned actress." Logan explained, only to  
have Kurt and Ororo stop in their tracks and give him a surprised  
look. Suddenly even Logan realized how odd that sounded coming from  
the bar brawling, guts and gore kinda mutant he was. After all,  
modern pop culture was not typically his forte. "Some of the kids  
were watching "E" last night and her name was mentioned; I just  
happened to over hear," he openly explained.  
They all went back to walking. Ororo then had another idea. "Charles  
does know a few people in high places' to coin a phrase, perhaps he  
knows someone, who knows someone, who can work something out for  
you."  
Kurt put down his bags. They had finally reached their destination.  
He turned to Ororo and gave her a cheerful smile. "Zat vill not be  
necessary mein freunde, I have un idea."


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4  
The next morning, Kurt made a trip alone to Washington DC.  
Normally, "Senator Kelly" did not allow visitors, but as soon  
as "he" heard it was one of the x-men, "he" was only to happy to  
invite him in. Knowing that the room was completely free of  
surveillance equipment, "Kelly" turned back into Mystique. "Its not  
every day that one of Charles' disciples comes to my door, so to  
what do I owe the pleasure?"  
Kurt humbly smiled at the only other blue skinned mutant he ever met  
and began to tell her of all the events that had led him to her.  
Mystique watched Kurt explain his conundrum with the air of  
conceitedness that she always possessed. "Zo Mystique, I have come  
here to ask you for a very big favor; something zhat only you can  
do." Mystique stared at him blankly; there could be only one favor  
Kurt would want from her.  
"So who is it you want me to be?" she asked as dryly as a waitress  
would take down an order. "Do you know of Rebecca Romijn-Stamos?"  
Mystique thought for a moment. "Oh, her; your friend at SOB has very  
simple taste doesn't he?" She said as she transformed herself into  
this super model turned actress. Kurt smiled gleefully and began  
thanking Mystique as if she had already agreed to help him. "Danke  
schoen, Danke schoen! May Gott Bless you a zousand times for zis,  
fraulein! Danke schoen!"  
Mystique grinned but then returned to her natural form. She then  
opened her mouth and paused for a brief moment before  
speaking. "Alright Kurt," she went to explain her fee for this  
service as it were. "I'll go as Rebecca Roijm-Stamos with you to  
this toy store, IF you do something for me in return.  
Kurt's enthusiasm may have slowed down a bit but he still smiled for  
joy. "Vhat is it you vant, Mystique?" he cheerfully asked. "Name  
your price."  
She paused for a moment looking away, then grinned slyly as her deep  
yellow eyes fixed back on his. "Get Logan to meet me under the  
mistletoe, that shouldn't be too difficult."  
Kurt sheepishly grinned. "I cannot zay for certain if Logan vill do  
dis or not, but I promise you I vill try my best to get him zere."


	5. Chapter 5

Ch5  
When Kurt returned to X-mansion, the first person he went looking  
for was Logan. He found him in the garage waxing his new motor  
cycle. "Logan, mein freunde!" he offered Logan his most cheerful  
smile. Logan turned to see Kurt's all too happy face and immediately  
knew something was up. "Alright bub, what gives?"  
"Ah ves," Kurt began to stumble over his words. "I have found a vay  
to get zat doll I vent looking for yesterday."  
Logan went back to polishing his bike's chrome wheels. "Ugh-huh, go  
on..."  
"Well. I have asked the mutant called Mystique to help me and she  
has agreed, but only if you vill…um…" Logan turned around and gave  
Kurt an unfriendly look. "If you vill meet her under ze mistletoe."  
"No." Logan flatly answered and returned to polishing. "But it's  
just a…" Kurt pleaded.  
"I said no'!" Logan reaffirmed himself but Kurt refused to give up  
so easily. "Logan, please here me out! Dis is ze only vay I am going  
to get dis doll from zat man."  
"Not for a million dollars!" Logan insisted without taking his  
attention off of his bike. "Nothing would be worth it." Logan's last  
remark gave Kurt and idea.  
"Ah, perhaps zere is nothing you vant zat badly mein freunde, but  
could zere be something for someone else?"  
Logan stopped and turned around to face Kurt. "What do you mean?"  
"Vell, vould you do zis in exchange for something you vish for  
someone else to have?"  
Interested in what Kurt was suggesting Logan asked, "Like what?"  
"Vell, perhaps I could buy a gift for someone you know, in exchange  
for zis favor."  
Logan thought for a moment, Kurt's idea did mean something to him  
after all. "Tell you what Elf, I've been going crazy trying to find  
something for Jean with a phoenix on it and I've had no luck. If you  
can find something, and it needs to be really nice, then I'll give  
Mystique the biggest, wettest, sloppiest kiss that blue bit…er, um  
witch has ever had!"  
Kurt nodded his head. "A phoenix it is."  
Kurt thought very hard and prayed all night on where to go or who to  
ask for help in finding a very special phoenix for Logan to give to  
Jean; then after some sleep, it came to him. Colossus!' he said to  
himself and as soon as he was dressed Kurt went to find the very  
talented artist. He found him alone in the reading room with sketch  
pad and pencil in hand. "Guten morgen Piotr, you are having a good  
day ja?"  
The young man looked up form his sketching pad. "Oh, hello Kurt," he  
replied, "no, my day has already started out wrong but thank you for  
asking; and how are you today?"  
Kurt smiled and sat down next to the Russian. "I'm vell mein  
freunde. I'm sorry to hear you are not having a good day, and maybe  
zis is not ze right time to ask for your help, but can you draw for  
me a picture of a phoenix?"  
"Is this going to be for Jean?" Piotr asked as he returned to his  
drawing. "Nein, Logan." Piotr suddenly looked up from his art work  
again with a very puzzled look on his face.  
"But I think that is who will end up with it." Kurt corrected.  
Piotr looked out of the window and sighed. "I wish I could, but I  
have already promised so many people their drawings in time for  
Christmas that I don't have the time to take on even one more task."  
Kurt sighed; he thought this would be the answer to his dilemma. He  
sat there quietly for a moment wondering what to do next. Suddenly  
he realized that he had not taken the time to find out why Piotr's  
day had gone wrong as he had said, and felt badly for not thinking  
of Piotr's needs first. "I am sorry that your day has not gone vell  
for you, can I do something to help?"  
Piotr shook his head. "Not unless you can talk some sense into  
Bobby," he complained. "You see, Scott gave us an assignment to work  
together as a team on this year's outdoor Christmas decorations, but  
Bobby refuses to create the ice sculptures according to my designs!  
I want to have a very beautiful and dramatic nativity scene on our  
front lawn, I spent a great deal of time, planning and designing  
this scene, but Bobby is insisting we have the three Chipmunks  
standing 12 feet tall and dressed as Christmas carolers instead!"  
Kurt gave his problem some thought and after a moment or so, came up  
with a possible solution. "It sounds like both of you have good  
ideas, perhaps zere can be a compromise ja?"  
"Well what do you mean exactly?" Piotr became interested in Kurt's  
idea.  
"Maybe you can have the nativity scene on ze front lawn, und the  
Chipmunks could be standing outside ze main gate?" the young Russian  
nodded his head. "That would save me from having to come up with a  
whole new design."  
"Zay, if I can talk Bobby into doing your ice sculpture, will you  
agree to do zis drawing of a phoenix?" Piotr nodded. "Agreed."


	6. Chapter 6

Ch6  
Immediately, Kurt went searching for Bobby and found him sitting in  
the kitchen with Rogue. They were drinking hot cocoa and studying  
for an upcoming science exam. "Good day Bobby and Marie, are you  
able to talk to me for a moment?"  
"Sure." Bobby politely said as Kurt sat down across from  
them. "What's up?"  
"Piotr tells me that you and him are in a disagreement about ze  
Christmas decorations for outside. Is zere some vay you can come  
work something out?"  
Bobby shrugged his shoulders. "I guess…I know what Pete wants me to  
do and what he's drawn on paper would make a beautiful ice  
sculpture, it's just that the whole nativity scene he's got in mind  
is so serious! I mean, yeah I know what Christmas is really all  
about! And I don't have a problem with that; it's just that there a  
fun side to it too."  
Kurt nodded his head. "I understand vhat you are saying Bobby, zis  
time of zhe year should be joyous; but even you said that Piotr's  
idea would be make a beautiful ice sculpture and he can't do it  
without you. I'm sure if zere was something you really wanted done,  
you could go to him for help. Even ze great "Iceman" needs help once  
in a vhile, ja?"  
Bobby's eyes seemed to brighten, "Um Rogue…I left my red note book  
back in the lab. Could you get it for me?"  
Rogue knew when she was being chased off and looked on  
suspiciously. "OK," she warily agreed and got up to leave for the  
lab. When she was gone, Bobby leaned in closely to speak quietly to  
Kurt. "Funny you should mention needing help'. You see there is  
something I've been dying to do, but there's no way I can myself and  
the x-men don't think it's worth going to war over." Kurt was  
beginning to sense he would be adding yet one more item to his to  
get' list. But…"Go to war?" he asked cautiously.  
"See, when Rogue first arrived here she wore a scarf around her neck  
all the time. It was the only thing she had from her mom. Anyways  
when the brotherhood kidnapped her, Toad snatched the scarf and now  
he as it. I know how much that scarf means to Rogue and I would do  
anything to get it back for her."  
Kurt nodded his head. "If you vill help Piotr, zen I vill help you."  
"It's a deal!" Bobby cheered and shook heads with Kurt.

Later on, Kurt meekly walked into Cerebro and waited quietly for  
Charles to say something to him first. "Yes Kurt, you have a  
question?"  
"Um…pardon the interruption Herr Professor, I vas hoping you could  
help me find someone."  
"Oh?" Charles asked as he took off Cerebro's helmet to give Kurt his  
full attention. "Who is it you wish to find?"  
"I wish to find ze mutant called Toad. I have a very important favor  
to ask of him."  
Kurt fully expected Charles to demand he explain what kind favor he  
was wanting from Toad and for what purpose it severed, but instead  
Charles nodded his head and put the helmet back on his head.  
"Very well; one moment please," the Professor then began to use his  
concentration to look for Toad. In no time he had his location and  
gave the address to Kurt. "Danke schoen Herr Porfessor."  
"Kurt," Charles calmly explained, "for the moment, we are at peace  
with the brotherhood but that does not mean they can be completely  
trusted. Going to their lair might become very dangerous, so please  
be very careful."  
"Yes Herr Professor, I vill." Kurt politely assured him and left the  
Professor to his usual business.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch7  
Kurt traveled alone until dark to the brotherhood's lair. It was a  
farm house out in the New Jersey country side. The area surrounding  
the Brotherhood's secret hideout almost reminded him of the peaceful  
and serene German country side except he couldn't shake off the idea  
of how easy it would be to commit a murder out here and no one would  
ever know.  
He bravely walked up to the front door and knocked. He knocked  
again; and then again. Finally Pyro answered to the door, holding a  
medium sized fire ball in his hand. He was just about to throw the  
fireball at the unsuspecting trespasser when he saw it was Kurt. "Oh  
geez!" John yelled in surprise upon seeing a familiar face, and  
dropped the fire ball on the floor, stomping on it to put out the  
flames. "What the hell are you doing here!?!"  
Kurt was too busy thanking God for sparing him from Pyro's fury to  
answer his question right away; a moment later he cleared his  
throat. "Guten abend;is zhe mutant named T"Kurt was about to state  
his purpose for being therewhen Sabretooth strolled up, stuffing  
handfuls of potato chips into his mouth. Kurt looked up to see the  
seven foot monster staring curiously at him. "Don't be rude," the  
felinoidlightly smacked Pyro on the back of the head. "Invite the  
freak in."  
Kurt overlooked Sabretooth's remark and graciously accepted the  
offer to come inside. "A hello, I am Kurt Wagner but in ze circus I  
was known as Night Crawler." Sabretooth stretched out his hand still  
covered in potato chip crumbs, "Name's Sabretooth and this here is…'  
"I already met the guy, dumb-ass. He's one of the x-men now." John  
said it as if it was a warning. "One of Charlie's Angels huh?" said  
the cat-like man with a hint of curiosity. "So what business you got  
coming here?"  
"I am here to zee your colleague named Toad; he iz here ja" Kurt  
responded with a little nervousness. Sabretooth stuffed another  
mouthful of chips in his mouth and turned to John. "Go get him." As  
Pyro walked up the stairs the two men could hear him grumbling  
something about not understanding when, why or HOW he became the  
house slave.  
"You want a beer?" Sabretooth offered as he led Kurt into the living  
room. "No thank you, I vill be here only for a moment." I hope,' he  
thought to himself. Soon Pyro returned down the stairs with Toad  
following close behind.  
"Are you Toad?" Kurt asked upon seeing the greenish amphinoid hope  
down the stairs. "None other." Toad replied as he began to eye Kurt  
as well.  
"I have an important favor to ask you," Kurt continued. "You have an  
item that belongs to someone else and I was hoping you vould be so  
kind as to return it, please."  
For a few brief moments everyone stood quietly, waiting for Toad's  
reaction. "Blimy! Do all you Krouts have balls the size of  
coconuts?" Toad finally sneered.  
Kurt's face would have been flushed it his colored had allowed  
it. God loves the unlovable,' he reminded himself before continuing  
his discussion with the amphibinoid. "It is something of little  
value to you of zhat I am sure, you wouldn't even miss it."  
"And what exactly is this item you came looking for?" Toad asked in  
rancor. Kurt's stomach churned but tenaciously he stood his  
ground. "You have a scarf zhat you took from zhe girl named Rogue.  
She vould like it back."  
Toad grinned tauntingly. "So the poor little mutie girl is  
missing er scarf aye? Well that's just too bloody bad now isn't  
it?" Toad then walked over to the middle of the living room floor  
and cricked his neck as if he was preparing to fight. "And what a  
stupid thing to come here and die for."


	8. Chapter 8

Ch8  
Kurt's heart leapt into his throat; Charles' warning was not  
in  
vain. But before he even had a chance to reason with Toad, the green  
mutant jumped at him with all his force. BAMPH  
The teleporter vanished in front of everyone's eyes and suddenly  
reappeared at the other end of the living room. Toad spun around and  
saw Kurt smiling at him. "Argh!" he charged at Kurt again  
only to  
run into the teleporter's blue smoke once again. Pyro and  
Sabretooth  
both stood off to the sides laughing to themselves at the sight.  
Kurt reappeared this time squatting on the couch. "Please, zis  
vill  
get us no vhere," he tried to rationalize with Toad only to make  
him  
angrier. "I could kick your ass into a blue pulp if you'd  
just stay  
in one place!" and he charged at him again.  
BAMPH and once again Toad met only more blue smoke, only this time  
he hit the couch so hard that he knocked it over on its back. By now  
Sabretooth and Pyro were laughing their butts off. "What's  
wrong  
Toad? Is the x-chump too quick for you?" Pyro taunted cruelly.  
"Yeah  
Wart, he's got you making complete ass outta yourself!"  
Sabretooth  
roared. Toad got up and quickly checked to see if his throbbing nose  
wasn't broken.  
"Well, if you bloody wankers would cover the room maybe he  
wouldn't  
have anywhere to go!" Sabretooth shook his head. "Nothin'  
doin'! We  
got nothin' ta do with this fight Wart; besides it's too damn  
funny  
watching you chase after the freak."  
"Toad," everyone turned around to see Kurt standing in the  
entrance  
way. Desperately he tried one more time to talk to Toad.  
"Just here me out…" But alas no sooner did Toad see where  
Kurt had  
teleported that he charged at him again, and again Kurt teleported  
out of harms way. Kurt was now hanging from the chandelier.  
"…can't ve discuss zis…" and Toad followed after him.  
BAMPH Now  
Kurt was halfway up the staircase.  
"…like civilized…" now he was at the top of the stairs, and  
Toad was  
still in hot pursuit. BAMPH By now Toad was beginning to realize  
that the only way to catch Kurt was to figure out where he'd  
teleport to next, and so he kept charging up the stairs to meet the  
teleporter as he rematerialized at the top of the stair case. But  
Kurt fooled Toad and instead, and teleported back to the bottom.  
"…  
people!" Kurt beged.  
"You might as well give up Toad." Pyro tried to bring his  
colleague  
to his senses. "You're never going to catch him."  
"Can and will!" Toad seethed in fury. But just as he was  
about to  
leap off the stairway, he heard a coughing sound behind him.  
"A-hem,  
Toad, there had better be a good explanation for interrupting my  
afternoon reading time."


	9. Chapter 9

Ch9

Magneto spoke calmly from behind as he walked out of his bedroom and  
headed toward the staircase. Toad's fury was quickly replaced by  
fear. "Um…one of the x-men came ere looking for trouble..."

Magneto raised his hand to stop Toad from saying another word as he  
started to walk down the stairs to see which x-men was foolish  
enough to walk into his lair. Erik's face brightened and a wide  
smile streaked across his face. "This is the x-men you're so worried  
about?" he chastised the amphibinoid. "Why this one could make a  
profession out of pacifism." He mused as he continued to walk down  
the stairs.

"Please forgive my brother's rudeness, Night Crawler isn't it? We so  
seldom entertain guests that he forgets his manners. Now exactly  
what brings you here?"

Kurt could feel his heart rate slowing and the adrenalin in his  
veins begin to ease somewhat as he began to realize that once again  
his life had been miraculously spared. "I have come here to ask zhe  
mutant called Toad if he vould return an item zhat he stole from one  
of Xavier's students."

"Stole?" Magneto repeated defensively. "That's a very drastic  
accusation you are making Night Crawler. You have proof of this  
crime?"

Kurt shook his head. "No, but I assure you Herr Magneto, Toad took  
Marie's scarf and she vishes to have it back."

"That's a ruddy lie!" Toad snapped. "The bird gave er scarf to me  
as a souvenir," he mocked sweetly. Kurt's face showed his anger but  
he courageously remained calm. "Vell in any case, she vants it back!"

"Now that's a bleeding shame ain't it! I'd like to ave a few things  
returned to me, but you don't see me whining about them now do you."  
Toad retorted as he went to the living room and turned the couch  
upright. Ach, mein Gott!When will this end!?!' Kurt began to wonder.

"Perhaps Toad," Kurt spoke speculatively. "If you vould be so kind  
as to return Marie's scarf to her, zhen who knows? Perhaps zhat vhat  
you have lost, vill be returned to you." Kurt's kind words only  
brought dark memories to Toad's mind. "That's not ow it works for  
me, bloke. It never works out for me!" he spat bitterly.

Suddenly, Kurt felt an over whelming sense of compassion for the  
young green man. "Tell me Toad, vhat did you loose?"

For a moment or so, Toad stared angrily at Kurt, suspicious of the  
blue mutant's motives. "Oh, let's see…" he snapped sarcastically. "…  
for a start, MY PARENTS! Oh, then there were all my childhood chums,  
oh wait a bloody minute…I never ad ANY! A decent ome where I grew  
up…no wait, I didn't ave that either! An encouraging tutor, a  
caring teacher oh that's right…I never ad one!"

"Waa, waa, waa! See what you started freak," Sabretooth interrupted  
with a rude snort. "Now he'll be bitching about his pathetic life  
for the rest of the damn evening!"

Toad turned his attention to Sabretooth and glared at the blonde  
haired brute. "I know…" Toad concluded. "I'd settle for just getting  
back me bloody Star Wars collection!" Sabretooth chuckled as he  
rolled his eyes. "You're STILL crying about those dolls?"

"They're action figures!" Toad stressed. "And it took me a bloody  
lifetime to collect em all."

"Vhere are zhey now, Toad?" Kurt interrupted. Toad shot a bitter  
glareat Sabretooth who grinned maliciously while scratching his  
beard. "Oh, I buried Toad's toys somewhere out in the yard."

Kurt then took this opportunity to weave a deal. "Toad, if  
Zabretooth returned your dolls, ah…I mean to zay, action figures…  
back to you, vould you zhen give back Marie's scarf?" But before  
Toad could reply Sabretooth interrupted. "Why the hell should I give  
back Toaddolls? He's always buggin' the crap outta me!"

"Oh you're justsore cause Mags won't let you take off for  
Christmas." Toad sneered at Sabretooth.

Kurt sighed. "Zabretooth, if you got the holiday off, vould you  
return the action figures back to Toad?" Sabretooth shrugged his  
shoulders. "Whaddya say Mags?"

Magneto looked at everyone in the room as they looked at himholding  
their breath waiting for his answer. "Why does it all come down to  
me?"


	10. Chapter 10

Ch10  
Kurt humbled himself and approached Magneto as he stood motionlessly  
half way up the staircase. "Mein Herr, I come to your home today not  
merely to retrieve a young woman's scarf, but rather to make a small  
child's Christmas vish come true. I am appealing to your sense of  
kindness and good vill to zhose less fortunate; to help zhose who  
must depend on the generosity of strangers because zhey are unable  
to help zhem selves. So many have already pledged zheir assistance,  
each contributing something to make a little girl's dream come true.  
Vill you please say "yes" to your subordinates' request zo zhat I  
can bring all zhe pieces of vhis miracle together and fulfill Gott's  
plan."  
By now, he was standing just a few steps below the man of magnetism,  
making Magneto seem to be so much taller then Kurt. For a moment,  
Magneto's face seemed to soften a bit, as he looked down at the blue  
mutant's eyes. He calmly even compassionately reached out and put  
his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "What's in for me?"  
"Well you knew that was coming," Pyro commented under his breath.  
"Why should I agree to this?" Magneto rudely mused. "It seems to me  
that everyone will be profiting from this arrangement except me."  
More than ever Kurt believed this had to be a great and magnificent,  
though perhaps somewhat tedious test sent from the very throne room  
of Heaven itself. At that exact moment in time Kurt couldn't tell if  
he wanted to laugh or start screaming! "But, mein Herr, you vould  
not be losing anything either." He calmly reminded Magneto.  
"Hmmm, true," Magneto replied. He paused and thought for a moment,  
thinking over the situation. Under normal conditions, telling  
his "subordinates" to piss off would have been a breeze, but he  
could not risk having Kurt going back to Mutant high and telling all  
of the young potential recruits that Erik Lehnserr was a hard-ass to  
work for.  
"You say others have offered their assistance as well; am I then to  
assume that you have promised all of them something in exchange for  
their help?" Magneto began to scrutinize Kurt like a criminal  
lawyer. Kurt quietly nodded his head and Magneto continued.  
"Now I'm not trying to be difficult Night Crawler, but I had made  
plans which require Sabretooth to accompany me as my body guard.  
However, I do not wish to be the one to unravel this tapestry of  
promises you have so brilliantly weaved. So…" he paused briefly for  
a moment considering his next words. "If you can grant me something  
that I would find valuable enough alter my plans, perhaps I could be  
persuaded to let Sabretooth go away for, oh say a week or so."  
Suddenly everyone in room brightened, or at least Sabretooth did, as  
Magneto tried to think of something he would be willing give up for  
his loyal attack dog. "Ah, I know;" he put his index finger to his  
lips thinking over his moment of enlightenment as he finally settled  
for something he both actually wanted and yet he knew would be a  
challenge to acquire. "For some time now I've wanted a copy of  
the "Commentarii di Caio Giulio Cesare" by Agostino Ortica. My  
German is a bit rusty but in English that translates  
to "Commentaries by…"  
"Commentaries by Julius Caesar;" Kurt interrupted coolly. "I have  
studied Latin for many years Herr Magneto." Magneto merely raised  
his eyebrow in dull surprise.  
"I see you took the time to educate yourself in something other than  
walking the tight rope. I assure you Night Crawler, finding a copy  
of this book will take much more effort. For a start, I insist on  
having a copy that was printed in 1528 which undoubtedly will not be  
easy to find. However…" Magneto's voice rang of arrogance. "I'm sure  
it should be no great challenge for a miracle worker such as you."

Kurt returned to the X-mansion feeling utterly frazzled. He knew  
that if push came to shove he could count on Bobby and Piotr to  
fulfill their end of the bargain which would ensure Logan fulfilling  
his. However it seemed so terribly wrong for them to be denied their  
rewards. Kurt knew deep inside that if he were to pass this "test",  
then he must see to it that all involved would receive payment for  
their efforts. But where on Earth was he going to find a rare  
sixteenth century book on such a short deadline? As desperately as  
he wanted to solve the problem tonight, the answer would have to  
present itself tomorrow.  
Kurt slowly walked inside to find most everyone had gone to bed. It  
had been a long a grueling day and as Kurt walked up the stairs, the  
only thing he could think of was crawling into bed and starting it  
all over again tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

Ch11  
"Haven't seen you around much." Scott mentioned to Kurt as they  
passed in the hall the next morning. "I've been busy." Kurt  
mentioned with a distant tone.  
"So I've heard." Scott mentioned. "Any luck getting Rebecca Roijm-  
Stamos to come with you to SOB Shultz by the end of this week?"  
Kurt whirled around in surprise. "How did you find out about zis?"  
Scott chuckled and shook his head. "Here at Mutant High, news tends  
to travel fast. But seriously how's it coming along?"  
Kurt's bleakness quickly disappeared as he suddenly thought to ask  
Scott for his advice. "Perhaps you could be of zome help ja?" Scott  
smiled thinking that Kurt was so impressed with him that he would  
even assume he was able produce a Hollywood personality on  
demand. "A-hem," Scott humbled himself. "I'm afraid I don't know  
anyone out in Hollywood Kurt."  
"Nein ,nein, mein freunde;" Kurt corrected Scott. "But could you  
please tell me vhere I vould look to buy a book printed during zhe  
medieval times?" Scott paused for a brief and disappointed moment.  
"Um…try the internet, is probably your best shot, or  
maybe Barnes and Noble; if nothing else try Ebay. Um Kurt, how  
exactly does an antique book fit into you getting a movie actress to  
come here?"  
For one of those rare occasions, Kurt elected not to go into one of  
his full detailed and lengthy stories. "It's quite a long story  
Scott, I'll have to tell it to you zometime but for now, I must be  
looking for a computer."  
Kurt walked into the kitchen and made himself a couple of pop-tarts  
and got a glass of milk. He sat down to eat his breakfast when  
Jubilee came in, with her brand new lap top under her arm. She  
plopped it down on the table next to Kurt and opened it up. "Heard  
you were looking for a computer?" she said as she pulled out the  
chair next to Kurt and sat down.  
"Scott vas right, news does travel fast around here." Jubilee turned  
and gave him a board smile. "Lightening speed, blue boy, lightening  
speed."  
For the time being, Kurt let his breakfast alone, leaving his pop  
tarts and milk sit between him and Jubilee, as he watched her start  
the computer up. "Do you know how to operate one of these?" she  
asked the teleporter as she unconsciously reached for one of Kurt's  
pop-tarts and took a bite.  
"Ah…no." he meekly admitted too embarrassed to fend for his  
breakfast. "No problem, I can help," Jubilee added as she took  
another bite. "Now what exactly are you looking for?"  
"It is a rare medieval book printed in 1528. Zhe exact title  
is "Commentarii di Caio Giulio Cesare," he began to explain. "O-o-o-  
o-kay; Can you spell that for me?" she asked as she took another  
bite from Kurt's pop-tart. "Perhaps I should vrite it down ja?"  
Jubilee reached into her purse and handed him a small writing  
pad. "Sure," she mumbled through another mouthful of pop-tart; by  
now, the first pop-tart was nearly gone.  
"You're lucky I was on my way down here to get something to eat  
before first hour. I…" Suddenly Jubilee was aware that she had been  
eating Kurt's breakfast all the while by mistake. "Oh! Oh, oh, I'm  
so sorry about that!" she emphatically apologized. Kurt merely  
chuckled as he handed her writing pad back and waved it off.  
"No worries. I'm just grateful you can help me vith zis zing," he  
mentioned lifting his cloven hand. "Computer keyboards are just a  
number of many zings not built vith zese in mind."  
"I see what you mean," Jubilee glanced over to look at his hands  
then at the book title he had written on her note pad. "OK, let's  
see if we can find this bad boy here on line," and after a few  
moments of key taps and a succession clicks, Jubilee smiled  
cheerfully as she pointed to the page on the computer. "Here's the  
links to several book stores, and also for Ebay. Let's try this one  
first," and she clicked onto one of the bookstore links. But alas  
the book was not available. She tried another bookstore website,  
then another, and yet another but not one had this rare antique book  
in stock.  
"Vhat is vis Ebay'?" Kurt wondered. Jubilee shrugged her  
shoulders. "It's like an auction house; except you bid for stuff on  
line and its like open to everyone in the world who has a computer."  
Kurt nodded his head. "Let's look zere," he suggested.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch12  
Jubilee went to the Ebay website and searched for Kurt's book. I  
don't believe this! Kurt, my man you are so-o-o-o lucky!" she  
exclaimed. "Vis time I do not zink it vas luck vho helped me,  
fraulein!" Kurt happily replied.  
"Well whoever's looking out for you sure has good timing. Look, it  
says here there's only forty-two minutes left on this auction and at  
the moment the highest bid is only three hundred! If you play your  
cards right you might get it at a bargain!" Jubilee pointed to the  
screen and showed Kurt where she was getting the information  
from. "I see," he spoke confidently. "Now how do I start bidding?"  
"Well you'll have to register first, I can help you with that,"  
Jubilee then went straight to the registration page. "You just tell  
me the answers and I'll type them in."  
They were almost done with Kurt's registration when Kitty popped her  
head in. "Jubilee, the Professor's waiting on you." Jubilee glanced  
looked up over her lap top monitor. "Tell him I'm helping Kurt with  
something."  
"He knows, he just wanted me to remind you that today's the  
beginning of mid-term exams and he wants everyone to start the tests  
at the same time. So he's holding up the class until your ready to  
join."  
Kurt quickly interrupted. "Jubilee, zhere is still more zhan zirty  
minutes left on zis auction; I do not vant to hold Herr Professor's  
class up any longer; you should go."  
"You're right." Jubilee sighed and stood up grabbing her  
purse. "Tell you what, you look like someone I can trust," she then  
perked up and leaned down to hit the laptop's back key' and went  
back to books actively page.  
"Just keep a close eye on this page, it tells you what the current  
highest bid is, just keep out bidding the highest bid until the  
auctions up, that's the best way to get the book. Then when your  
done just bring my computer to the Professor's class."  
"Zat is very kind Jubilee, but remember?" and once again he raised  
his hand to show her his awkward hands. But she already had an  
idea. "Here," she handed him a pencil pencil. "Just tap the keys  
with the eraser end, I do this all the time when my nail polish is  
wet."  
"A...OK." he replied, seeing the logic in her plan. "Danke schoen,  
fraulein. I vill get zis back to you right away." Kurt assured her  
as she walked out of the kitchen with Kitty. Kurt grinned believing  
in his heart that his ordeal was about to end. He studied the  
page. "Highest current bid: $300.00," he read to himself and proudly  
took the eraser end of the pencil and tapped in the amount $350.00,  
and hit send'. When the page flashed back onto the screen, it now  
revealed a new highest bid; but it was NOT Kurt's! The highest bid  
now stated. $400.00!  
Kurt immediately entered the amount $450.00 only to have been out  
bid again. The price was now $550.00. Once again Kurt tapped on the  
keys and entered a new amount of $650.00, but of course, was once  
again knocked out by someone else's bid, who now raised the amount  
to a whopping $1000.00!  
"Ach, mein Gott!" Kurt gasped under his breath. Just how badly did  
he want this stupid thing anyway?  
For the next several minutes he hesitated to enter anything more.  
Surely God would not expect him to sacrifice everything he had all  
for a girl he had never met? The time had almost run out and Kurt  
decided to give it one more try. With some trepidation, Kurt entered  
in a new amount. $1001.00, but as he went to hit the enter' key,  
the pencil slipped and fell to the floor. Scheiss!' he cursed to  
himself and reached down for the pencil. He kept his eye on the  
activity page as he fumbled around to find the pencil. Time was  
running out, and so he gave up looking for the pencil and tapped the  
enter key with his cloven hand, just seven seconds from closing  
time. Finally he saw his bid was on the top of the list! He had the  
highest bid! He felt a sense of great accomplishment while at the  
same time he was wondering how he would actually pay the amount.  
Kurt continued to stare at the page, waiting for some sign that the  
auction had ended he was victorious. Bells, whistles, blinking  
lights…SOMETHING! But alas, nothing on the page changed at all. He  
waited another minute or so, never realizing that hitting  
the "refresh button" was all he needed to do.  
Hmmm…' he began looking at all the information on the page hoping  
to see what to do next. He looked up on top of the page and  
saw "your auctions" listed as one of the places to go. He hit the  
button and studied its information closely. The only thing it told  
him was. "Items you bid on: 1; Auctions you won: 0"  
He heart sank into his feet! He found his way back to the closed  
auction board for the antique book only to find that the very same  
person who had been competing with him for the book came in on the  
final second with a bid of $1001.25!  
A frustrated and frazzled Kurt threw his hands up into the  
air. "That's it! I give up!" he shouted loudly just as some of the  
younger kids were walking passed the kitchen and overheard.  
One of the girls popped her head in. "That's OK Night Crawler, I  
feel that way all the time!" Kurt shook his head, feeling a little  
embarrassed, smiling kindly at the mutant child. Her little blue  
hair pulled back in barrettes except for one wild lock that hung  
stubbornly just over her right eyebrow. She was about to catch up  
with her friends when she thought of one more thing to add. "I bet  
the Professor could help," she mentioned as she left the kitchen.  
Kurt waved at the child as she left and quietly got up to return  
Jubilee's laptop back to her. He was almost to the Professor's door  
just as class was being dismissed. "Here is your computer, Jubilee,"  
he spoke quietly as he handed her the laptop.  
"Oh, thanks!" she chirped but quickly took on a more serious  
expression sensing Kurt's unhappiness. "So…you didn't get it huh?"  
Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "It vould have cost me over one zousand  
American dollars and still zomeone out bid me."  
Kurt over heard her saying she was sorry as she walked away, just as  
Charles called him to come into his office. "Kurt, have you a  
moment?"  
Obediently Kurt walked into the Professor's office/classroom. "Yes  
Herr Professor?"  
"Say, how did your meeting with the brotherhood go yesterday?"  
Charles asked in a casual manner. Kurt smiled as he took a moment to  
collect his thoughts. "It vas…survivable."  
Charles chuckled a bit. "Survivable? Well sometimes that can be more  
than enough." Kurt then sighed. "Zis iz true, Herr Professor, but  
unfortunately my visit vas also a vaste of time." Charles shook his  
head. "I take it then Toad refused to you Marie's scarf?"  
Kurt did a double take. "How did you…ah yes you are psychic," he  
reminded himself. "But it is not zat Toad refused to return Marie's  
scarf, it's zat…vell, it's terribly complicated, Herr Professor."  
Charles smiled back and started to move his chair towards Kurt.  
"It seems to me anyone who has put so much time and effort into a  
project should expect to find results. Are you absolutely sure  
you're ready to give up?" Kurt thought the question over very  
carefully. "Unless you know vhere I can find a copy of ze  
Commentarii di Caio Giulio Cesare by Agostino Ortica printed in 1528  
by zhe end of zis veek, I have no choice."  
"Commentaries by Julius Caesar you say?" he repeated as he turned  
his chair around and headed to library wall in his office. "I see  
Erik's taste hasn't broadened much." Charles began looking at the  
titles of all the rare antique books in his office. "Ah, yes, here  
it is," and he reached up to picked a leather bound and heavy  
looking book from his library. "Here you go Kurt. I believe this is  
what Erik wants."  
"Danke schoen Herr Professor!" he gasped in disbelief as he  
accepted the book from Charles' hands. "I vould do cart vheels if  
zere vere room in here!" he added just as the students for the  
Professor's next class was beginning to fill the seats.  
"Vhat do you vant for zis book Herr Professor?" Kurt was almost  
afraid to ask the question. Surely a man as wealthy and prosperous  
as Charles Xavier was bound to have expensive taste. He was very  
relieved to see the older bald man shake his head as he turned his  
chair to go back to his desk. However something outside caught  
Charles' attention and he stopped in front of one of the windows  
that overlooked the grounds. "I'm certainly in no need of your money  
Kurt," he assured the teleporter. "However, would you mind doing  
something for me?" Kurt held his breath. Here it comes.' He  
fearfully winced to himself. "Of course Herr Professor, anything you  
ask."  
"Yes," Charles used his strong arms to prop himself higher so that  
he could get a better look at what he saw outside his window,  
leaning and weaving just slightly to and fro to get a better view.  
"It would seem that Arty has stuck his tongue to the flag pole once  
again and now its frozen there. Would you be so kind as to go  
outside with a cup of lukewarm water and help him loose?"


	13. Chapter 13

Ch13  
At last Kurt had found the final link he needed to accomplish his  
goal. He wasted no time getting the book to Magneto who graciously  
held up to his deal and granted Sabretooth a whole week away from  
the lair. A happy and whistling Sabretooth then went outside and  
went straight to the spot of ground where he had buried Toad's toys,  
er action figures, and dug them up with his bare claws. He brought  
them to Toad who carefully examined each one for damage, (luckily  
Sabretooth had kept them in the book bag Toad stored them in), and  
all were no worse for ware. Toad then retrieved Marie's scarf but  
pretended to blow his nose in it before handing it to Kurt.  
Kurt then returned to later in the evening to X-mansion where he  
gave the scarf to Bobby who wrapped it up to give to Marie as a  
Christmas gift and early the next morning went outside to create the  
most beautiful naivety scene this side of the Atlantic, and Piotr  
spent most of the afternoon drawing on a 20X24 inch sheet of canvas,  
using pastel water colors for the background against the fiery  
phoenix which Logan gratefully accepted from Kurt but not without a  
tinge of remorse. "Great," the feral man said, sounding both pleased  
and angry at the same time. "I'll give Mystique a call and we can  
all meet at the mall tomorrow."  
"You have her number?" Kurt asked Logan curiously. But before Logan  
could reply, Ororo gave the answer away. "Yeah, she keeps calling  
here begging him for a date."

Around noon the next day Logan, Kurt and Ororo met up with Mystique  
in front of SOB Shultz. She was already in disguise as Rebecca Roijm-  
Stamos and was starting to attract some attention. Logan looked  
intensely at her, collecting her scent in his nostrils, making sure  
it really was Mystique. "Looking like that, I think I can almost  
stand kissing you." He grunted his backhanded compliment to her.  
"Are you always this charming?" Mystique questioned in sarcastic  
wonder as she walked up close to him and put her arms around his  
waist. Logan seemed lost for a moment, desperately trying to gather  
his thoughts. "Um…M-m-Mystique, no mistletoe," he flatly reminded  
her.  
"What? You didn't bring any with you?" she purred as she reached  
into her pocket and pulled out a sprig of her own. "That's alright;  
I'm a woman. I think of everything."  
"Ah, so you do." Logan stared at the piece of dead plant in her  
hands and found his heart was now in his throat.  
"Might as well get this over with," Logan tried to snort but ended  
up coming out more like a sigh. He grabbed her around the shoulders  
and whirled her around, making her bend at the knees, swooping her  
up into his arms and planted the most tender, passionate and  
romantic kiss he had doled out in quite a while. The crowd around  
them caught sight of this romantic gesture and began to applaud  
while Kurt snickered and Ororo rolled her eyes and huffed. "Did he  
purpose to her or something?" people started to ask one another only  
to start arguing over whether or not Rebecca Roijm-Stamos was still  
married to "that guy from Full House".  
Logan pulled her up to her feet and let her go, both mutants looking  
somewhat drained and yet elated by the experience. Logan cleared his  
throat "OK now; let's go in there and get that damn doll!"  
Now all four mutants marched into the toy store and headed straight  
to the back. Mat glanced up from his checkout stand and beamed a  
bright smile. "Dudes you did it!" he congratulated them as they  
walked by. As they approached to rear of the store they could hear  
Mat getting on the store's intercom. "Oh Un-cle T i-i-i-m-m-m…" they  
heard him sing out the store manager's name. "There's some-one to s-  
e-e-e-e you-u-u-u!"  
Within sheer nanno-seconds Tim, as they now knew his name, came  
charging out of the back room and onto the main floor.  
"That's it! I don't care if you're my wife's sister's only son, I  
shipping you ass back to Eugene tonight, you grass smoking hippie!"  
Suddenly he was face to face with Kurt who stood in front of him  
with a cheese-eating grin his face. "Ah, guten tag mein Herr. Do you  
remember me?" The started and angry man put his hands on his hips  
and glared down at the freakish looking creature. "Oh the hell could  
I forget?"  
"And do you remember our little agreement?" Kurt hinted  
playfully. "Huh?" the man wondered for a moment unable to recall  
this so called agreement he made with Kurt. "Oh, you mean…" he  
finally remembered. "Now wait a darn tootin' moment. I said you had  
to come back with Rebecca Roijm-Stamos in order to get that Barbie  
doll."  
"Yes, zat is correct, mein Herr." Kurt was smiling like a Cheshire  
cat.  
"Well," the man smugly snorted. "I see you, and the other two freaks  
that came with you last time, but I don't see…" Suddenly Kurt  
stepped aside and let Mystique in disguise walk up to the man. "It,  
it can't be," Tim gasped in utter shock.  
"Ms. Rebecca, it's, it's a pleasure…"  
"I'm sure it is." She jeered with a haughty huff. "I don't have time  
for this crap, I got better places to go and more important people  
than you to impress. So give us what we came here for and get the  
fuc…" Suddenly from behind Kurt nudged her to stop her from saying  
such profanity. "Zhere are children here," he whispered quietly to  
her.  
The mock Rebecca turned and gave the teleporter an angry glare, then  
focused her attention back to Tim. "Just…go…get…it!"  
A few moments later Tim returned with the Barbie inside a brown  
paper bag. "Keep this hidden, or you'll be rushed!" he quietly  
whispered as he handed her the bag. He also happened to have a blank  
sheet of paper and a pen and he tried handing them to her as  
well. "Um, Ms. Stamos would you please…I mean could you …you know…an  
autograph?" he asked humbly. She stared blankly at him and then at  
the paper in his hand. "Not even on a good day." And with that the  
band of mutants, proudly walked away with their prize.  
"So what exactly do you plan to do with that now?" Mystique wondered  
as she handed Kurt the bag and immediately transformed into someone  
far less conspicuous. For one of those rare occasions, Kurt didn't  
try to hide his face from the peering eyes of normal people. He  
walked tall and proud out of the toy store, his smile literally  
beaming from ear to ear. "Zhe directions on zhe paper say to drop  
zhe toys in zhe box located near zhe tree."  
"Has the same ring as a blackmailer's note if you ask me." Logan  
felt to mention as they made their way toward the food court. Both  
Kurt and Ororo gave Logan a silly grin while Mystique nodded her  
head in total agreement. "All of this holiday crap is nothing but  
legalized extortion."  
"Come on fraulein, you don't really mean that." Kurt spoke  
compassionately. But Mystique didn't push the argument however, as  
she slowed her pace, appearing that she was now ready to leave their  
company. "Well it's been fun," she dryly mused, giving Logan one  
long look.  
"Please, join us for drinks," Kurt eagerly offered as he motioned  
with his hand for her to come along with them. She stood their for a  
moment, expecting to see both Storm and Wolverine shake their heads  
or at the very least roll their eyes, but surprising neither seemed  
to mind the idea of her company. "Why not?" she asked herself aloud  
and quietly rejoined them as the now all headed toward the food  
court.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch14  
As soon as they arrived Kurt noticed the tree he had found the  
Secret Santa form on was gone. He glanced around the court looking  
for the "box" where he was supposed to leave the package but it too  
was missing. While Kurt went to one of the counters to ask for help,  
Logan went up and bought everyone a round of hot apple cider, and  
Ororo along with Mystique found a suitable place for them to sit.  
Minutes later, Logan joined the girls with the hot drinks while Kurt  
still stood at the counter waiting to speak to someone. "So this is  
what he meant by drinks' huh?" Mystique mentioned as she took a sip  
for the styrofoam cup. "I was thinking of something a little more  
fermented."  
"Love to oblige ya there darlin' but the Pro would be pretty pissed  
if we came home drunk. As soon as we get back to the mansion we get  
the thrill of driving got a bunch of kids to the airport so that  
they can go home for winter break." Logan mentioned as he took a sip  
from his. Mystique gave a disgusted groan.  
"Well I can understand Ororo and Kurt would be the sort to end up as  
one of Charles' docile drones but not you."  
For a moment Logan looked almost sorry for Mystique. "See sister,  
that's what makes me different from you. I can see the difference  
between being someone's drone and just giving a rat's ass about  
helping someone out once in a while." Just then, Ororo looked up and  
saw Kurt heading their way, looking forlorn. "What's wrong, Kurt?"  
"No one can tell me vhat is going on," he said sadly. Mystique, who  
was disguised as an average looking brunette, watched the teleporter  
put the package along with the Secret Santa slip down on the table  
next to her. She curiously reached over to read the slip Kurt had  
placed down on the table.  
"Well no wonder," she scoffed as she put the slip down and pointed  
to the finer print on the back. "Read this."  
Everyone leaned over to read what she was pointing to. "Typical;"  
Logan groaned leaning back into his plastic chair while Ororo put a  
sympatric hand on Kurt's shoulder as he just sat there starring at  
the bad news. "That…that was yesterday's date wasn't it?" he  
hopelessly said as the truth sunk in.  
"Yesterday was the last day to drop off the gifts, Kurt." Mystique  
was practically scolding him. "So, it would appear that all you  
effort was a waste of time."  
"Now hold on," Logan came to Kurt's defense. "It ain't over, till  
it's over Mystique. We'll just head over to the main office right  
now and drop the damn thing off ourselves. There's still a few more  
days till Christmas."  
But Mystique merely batted her cow like eyes at him. "I thought you  
said you had to take a bunch of kids to the airport?" she mockingly  
reminded him. "The Salvation Army's main office is over an hour away  
from here and that's during normal traffic. You won't be returning  
to Xavier's until after dark if you went there yourselves."  
"Zhere is no need for you to come along for zis Logan." Kurt  
explained as he stood up, finishing his cider in one long gulp, but  
as he got ready to leave, Mystique stopped him. "I can take you;  
it's on my way back to Washington."  
Kurt smiled at the shape shifter and graciously accepted her  
offer. "Zhank you fraulein, zhat vould be very helpful." Mystique  
smiled back at Kurt, though she seemed to be focusing her attention  
more on Logan. "That's quite alright Kurt; let's just say I once in  
a while I give a rat's ass about helping someone out."

As expected, the holiday traffic was hell; making the trip to the  
Salvation Army even slower. But that didn't damper Kurt's spirits in  
the least. He sat there in the passenger's seat of Mystique's sable  
colored Lexus, cheerfully smiling at the crowds and gazing up at the  
multitude of Holiday decorations spread out all over the town. "All  
ve need now is a nice fresh coat of snow, ja?"  
"Oh yeah, that's all we need!" Mystique quipped sarcastically. "Say,  
there's something I've been wondering. You went through all this  
trouble just to get a toy for some child you don't even know and  
most likely will never meet." Even now Mystique still pondered on  
the idea. "Why?" she finally asked in bewilderment.  
Kurt turned his head to look directly at her. "It is simple  
fraulein; I knew it vas Gott's vill."  
"Ah, I forgot what a religious fanatic you can be at times." She  
reminded herself with a cynical glare. "Alright then, please tell me  
what makes you so sure God' wanted you to do this in the first  
place? Really, if God's so powerful and giving, then why did he make  
this so hard for you?"  
Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "I know if Gott had vanted to make it  
easy on me he vould have done so, but…" Kurt's voice suddenly seemed  
to fade off. "Perhaps He is testing me; to see if I am deserving to  
have my prayers answered or not."  
"Oh; so you did it expecting something in return," she jumped at the  
chance to expose his hypocrisy.  
"Nein;" he calmly defended himself. "I did not do vis hoping of  
getting a reward, however zhat doesn't mean I can't expect to see  
Gott answer my prayers because I obeyed Him; to do vhatever it took  
to fulfill His vill."  
For the next several moments neither said a word as Mystique tried  
to comprehend what she had just heard. Then, just as they came to a  
stop light, Mystique continued the conversation. "Well, if that were  
true, I can't imagine there would be anything worth the headache you  
just put yourself through."  
"But zhere is fraulein, zhere is!" he eagerly assured her. "You see  
I vas adopted, and even zough my adopted family were very kind and  
good to me, I have always vanted to meet my biological mother."  
Suddenly Mystique felt as if she had been kicked hard in the gut and  
her heart began to pound. "W-w-why?" she asked, too ashamed to look  
him in the face.  
Kurt paused reflectively for a moment before answering. "I zhink I  
vould like to zhank her for vhat she did for me."  
"Thank her?" she repeated. "For giving you away?"  
"For giving me life," he compassionately corrected her. "In today's  
vorld it vould have been easy for her to abort me, but instead she  
choose to let me live."  
"I would hate her!" she insisted under her breath, staring blankly  
at the red light.  
"Hate is a terrible zhing. A destructive power zhat only leads to  
death," Kurt warned as the light turned green and she drove on. As  
badly as Mystique wanted to drop this conversation entirely, she had  
to find out how much he already knew. "If you wanted to find her  
Kurt, then couldn't you just look up the information on your birth  
records?"  
Kurt shook his head. "Zhere is no record of my birth. No one in  
Germany could help me, but I believe in my heart she is here in  
America."  
"You say you believe in your heart'; do you know for a fact that  
she came to America or is this a supernatural knowing?" Mystique  
tried to sound as objective as she possibly could.  
"I only know zis because a very long time ago, I dreamt I met my  
mother here in New York City."  
Staying impassive was getting more and more difficult for Mystique,  
as well as keeping a casual tone. "What…else do you know about her?"  
She tried to ask, soundly only mildly interested. Kurt gave a sigh  
and offered Mystique a sad smile. "Nothing else really."  
Mystique sighed in relief and drove on without saying another word.  
Soon they arrived at the Salvation Army's main office and she pulled  
over at the front door to let the teleporter out. "I trust you'll be  
able to find your own way home," she coldly commented as Kurt got  
out of her car with the package in hand.  
"Of course, fraulein; I am quite good at traveling on my own." The  
teleporter happily joked. "Zhank you again for all you help Mystique  
and I hope you have a merry Christmas." He was just about to close  
the door when she called out to him. "Kurt…"  
"Yes, Mystique?" he innocently popped his head back into her car to  
hear her better. For a brief moment or two it seemed that she had  
something heavy on her mind, but just as she was about to speak,  
some jerk from behind blasted on their horn, urging her to move on,  
breaking her concentration and dissolving her courage.  
"Never mind." She murmured, her voice somewhat shaky and  
unresolved. "Um…merry Christmas to you too." She blankly said,  
hoping he would leave it at that. "I vill mein freunde, on zhat you  
can count on." And with that he closed the door and she drove away  
without looking back.


	15. Chapter 15

Ch15  
For the next two weeks or so, Mystique didn't socialize much with  
anyone, either as herself or masquerading as anyone else for that  
matter. She had spent Christmas day indoors and alone, sipping on  
pink champagne sitting in front of her marble fireplace and  
listening only to the crackling sound coming from within, until she  
finally passed out on her white leather couch and not awaking until  
well into the night. But now it was New Year's Eve and she had a  
date to keep.  
She returned to the city around six in the evening, looking like a  
very wealthy and well maintained lady of some maturity; the sort  
you'd imagine living on Park Ave. She was in black; from the veiled  
hat she wore on her head to the high heeled designer shoes with the  
open toes she wore on her feet. Even the mink stole was a lush jet  
black. She was ravishingly to look at as she walked down the city  
street holding a wrapped package under her arm, and men still turned  
their heads to get a second look even if she appeared to be dressed  
for a funeral. So it only made perfect sense to see her walk into  
the funeral parlor on the corner of the street.  
She opened the large wooden door and quietly walked inside. The room  
was quiet, deathly quiet, and she found herself wanting to tip toe  
across the floor. As she walked passed the visitation area, she  
looked inside and saw and older man with white hair carrying in  
several flower arrangements at one time. He saw her there and  
discreetly nodded his head, as if he knew why she was there. She  
nodded in return and continued to walk to the back of the funeral  
parlor and headed straight for the elevator. She went down to the  
morgue which was in the basement, casually walking by the slabs and  
ignoring the corpse laying peacefully on the slab. As she reached  
the back of the room, she changed back into her nude self and put  
her hand on a handprint scanner which was secretly hidden inside a  
countertop. A moment later, a secret door slid open and almost  
instantly Mystique's mood brightened upon hearing sound of hearty  
laughter and lively jazz music coming from within.  
The name of this quaint mutant haven was The Emerald City' which  
had been around since the days of prohibition. A speak easy back  
then and in a sense still was today since it was one of the few and  
rare places that mutants could go unafraid of ridicule or  
discrimination. Mystique walked inside and looked around and  
immediately she spotted Erik who was sitting at one of the semi-  
circle slide in booths. She smiled warmly and invited herself to  
join him, sliding into the booth and sat across from him. The  
emerald green walls behind Mystique, as well as the faux green  
marble round table between them made her blue colored skin stand out  
even more so, making her that more alluring and pleasing to the  
eyes. She was a true beauty for Erik to behold and he smiled  
approvingly at her. "So glad you could make it my dear," he cooed as  
he ever so regally signaled for the waiter's prompt attention.  
"Where is everyone?" she asked looking around the room. Erik sighed  
and raised his eyebrows. "I'm afraid it just us this evening. As you  
know Toad hates crowds and Sabretooth went off to spend the holidays  
in Las Vegas of all places."  
"Las Vegas?" she curiously repeated as the waiter brought over the  
menus and served the champagne Erik had ordered to be delivered when  
his company arrived.  
"Yes;" Erik explained once the waiter left. "The fool bought a  
scratch off ticket a while ago and won five-hundred dollars. Now he  
wants to try his luck out in Sin City."  
Mystique softly laughed at the thought of seeing Sabretooth standing  
at a craps table and winning every round only because no one had the  
nerve to tell him it was bad to throw snake eyes. "Well what of the  
others?"  
Erik sighed softly and offered her a sad smile. "Pyro went with  
Quicksilver and Wanda to some party in Harlem. He said he didn't  
want to be stuck with old folks'," he stressed with a smirk.  
"I know he wasn't referring to me," Mystique assured Erik as well as  
her self. "Oh, that reminds me…" she handed him the package she had  
brought in with her. "Happy belated birthday."  
Erik silently glared at her for giving him such a subtle insult,  
then began to unwrap his gift. Instantly he recognized the book's  
cover. "Commentarii di Caio Giulio Cesare, by Agostino Ortica. And I  
thought this book was rare." he mused ironically with a broad smirk.  
"I should hope it is!" Mystique mentioned with a huff. "I had to go  
Ebay just to find the damn thing and of course there was some jerk  
who must have wanted it as badly as I did because he kept trying to  
out bid me!"  
Erik chuckled a bit as the waiter now returned with Mystique's glass  
and more champagne. "Well thank you very much for the gift Mystique,  
it was…very thoughtful." A moment or so went by without either  
saying a word to one another. Then finally Erik broke the  
silence. "So, did you tell him?"  
Mystique looked away, then lifted her glass and took a healthy gulp  
of champagne. "No," she quietly admitted. "I thought about it, but…"  
she took another quick drink. "Why ruin a good thing. Family ties  
can be so…entangling."  
"Just as well I suppose." Erik tried to comfort her. "The sacrifices  
you've made will someday ensure the safety of all our descendants."  
Mystique looked trustingly at Erik and smiled.  
"Then," she filled her glass and raised it for a toast. "Here's to  
all that we parents give up so that our children may live better  
lives." Erik smiled and raised his glass to hers. "Here, here."  
xxx  
It was almost midnight and Kurt was sitting alone outside on his  
balcony, gazing at the beautiful ice sculpture Bobby had made below  
and the way the lights from the mansion reflected off of it. Just  
then there was a knock on his door. "Come in," he happily called out  
and Ororo opened the door and came in.  
"I thought you might like some company," she spoke softly as she  
carried in two cups of warm herbal tea. Kurt turned and gave his  
dear friend a warm smile. "Danke schoen, fraulein," the blue skinned  
mutant said as he reached out for one of the cups. "I am surprised  
zhat you did not go to zhe New Year's celebration at Times Square  
vith your other friends." Ororo shrugged her shoulders and smiled.  
"I've been doing that for so many years now," she commented with  
dreary tone. "The only thing that really changes are the numbers  
they light up at midnight. I think I can afford to miss that once in  
a while."  
The two mutants then looked out into the night's clear sky. "It is a  
lovely night, Ororo. Um…your handy vork perhaps?" Kurt subtly  
suggested. But Ororo merely smiled and shook her head. "Not this  
time Kurt. Every once in a while I leave the business to good ol'  
mother nature," she joked with a smile.  
"Christmas vas good zis year, ja?" Kurt said both as a question and  
as a remark, gently nodding his head. Ororo nodded her head in  
return, quietly agreeing with him. "Just curious Kurt but do you  
intend to ever be a Secret Santa again?"  
Almost instantly Kurt's face perked up. "Oh most certainly I vill!  
Christmas time is zhe best time to show Gott's love to everyone  
Ororo, even to zhose ve only know in spirit but not by name ja?"  
Ororo didn't have to ask to know who Kurt was really referring to.  
"I'm sure someday you will find your mother," she assured him with a  
sincere smile. Kurt nodded his head, though now his face took on a  
deep and serious look of contemplation. "Zhat day vill come, I know  
too mein freunde. But Gott vill not rush zhe miracle or even my  
mother if she is not ready."  
Both mutants quietly stood on the balcony for another minute or so,  
enjoying the crisp wintry air before Kurt continued the  
conversation. "I hear zhat zhe New York City post office has a  
special department just for letters zhat vere sent to Santa Claus,  
und every year zhey ask for volunteers to come in und be a Secret  
Santa for someone vho vrote a letter to Santa. I vould like to do  
zhat next year, but, I vill get a much earlier start, I zhink!  
Besides…" he paused and reached into his pocket and pulled out the  
controls to his brand new image inducer that the Professor had given  
him as a Christmas gift. "It vould make a perfect excuse to use zis,  
ja?"  
"You know something Kurt?" Ororo softly chuckled and put her arm  
around her good friend. "You do what is right without thought of  
reward, you stick to a task no matter how impossible the odds and  
you aren't afraid to make a fool of yourself; no wonder Charles knew  
you'd fit right into the team."  
Kurt chuckled back and put his arm around her shoulder. "I vill take  
zhat as a compliment, mein freunde." He then softly sighed to  
himself in a way that Ororo could tell he was quite pleased with  
life.  
"It is a lovely night," he murmured gently; just then the grand  
father clock in the mansion's main hall struck midnight. Kurt turned  
to Ororo and gave her a warm and heart felt squeeze. "Happy New  
Year, fraulein."  
"Happy New Year Kurt," Ororo replied jovially and squeezed him  
back. –THE END


End file.
